Implementing professional development in invitational education

Abstract

The professional development of educators is seen as an ingredient essential to creating effective schools and raising learners' performance. Since educators have the most direct contact with learners, and considerable control over what is taught and how it is taught, it is reasonably assumed that enhancing educators' knowledge, skills and attitudes is a critical step towards improving learner performance. To ‘reculture’ schools according to the philosophy of Invitational Education in order to increase learner performance means to develop collaborative work cultures that focus, in a sustained way, on the continuous preparation and development of educators in relation to creating favourable learning conditions for all learners. Moreover, the aim of Invitational Education is to create an entire school environment that intentionally invites success for everyone in the school. This article attempts to explain key factors that may influence the effective implementation of Invitational Education as an example of professional development for educators. The following major categories are described: learning styles of educators; educators' commitment to change; transformational leadership; out-of-school conditions; in-school conditions; and requirements of programmes.